Irish can be a bit daunting to learn especially if you try on your own. If you are lucky enough to live in a region of the world that has a very large or active Irish community you may be able to take a class. But for folks like me who don’t live in the Gaeltacht or have access to an active community its a self-learning program. The problem is the pronunciation is difficult. There are some audio files online that are helpful, but very often the instructors are not native speakers so the accent is off. I was lucky enough to find a group class at a local high school. The class was about an hour from my home and met one night a week. The Buntus Cainte booklet was used for most of the lessons. These classes were only 4 weeks long offered by a delightful man from Co Mayo and his wife. I forgot most of what I learned week to week, but it did give me an idea of the pronunciation and some of the grammatical rules. And it was a lot of fun! I have also tried the Pimsuler audio programs which can be found on iTunes. They are quite good and I’ve learned a lot. I used them when I exercised or I was driving. (I found that I didn’t focus very well when driving so didn’t retain much). The accent was pretty good according to my instructor because he was impressed with me when I threw out a few new phrases we had not learned in his class. Another resource for you is Fluent in 3 Months, a blog by Co. Cavan native Benny Lewis. You’ll find a review by Benny on the Pimsuler approach here. The resourcepage on Fluent in 3 Months has lots of great ideas for learning Irish and other languages in general for that matter. It is quite an entertaining blog and has some interesting information for not only those learning Irish or another language, but on immersion in a country’s culture and travel! So there are a few tips on learning the Irish language that I hope will get you started! Like this:Like...

By : Kim Hathaway, March 11, 2014 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have transformed into a spectacle that would likely cause the poor auld saint turn over in his grave if he could see the shenanigans that ensue in his name. Lá Fhéile Pádraig or the Festival of Patrick is far from the holy day of obligation honoring Ireland’s Patron Saint. Catholics and Protestants alike held this day as a religious holiday. The secular folklore and legends that grew from the history of the saint have led to so much imbibing and revelry that some find it hard to believe there was ever such a man. Comparable to many myths and legends, there is truth to the legend of St Patrick. But the truth has become inaccurate and embroidered leaving doubt as to any veracity in the story. Popular legend is that St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland and he used a shamrock to teach the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to the pagan Celts of Ireland. Other accounts say that he overthrew pagan idols and won contests against the druids and kings. Regretfully there is no sign of snakes in Ireland nor is there any evidence that discusses the shamrock to teach Christianity. It’s a great yarn that has been told for generations, but it lacks proof. However, there is a foundation to answer all these questions held by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA). We do know for a fact where St. Patrick was born, when and how he arrived in Ireland. We also know he returned to Ireland and became a Christian priest. We know that he had a vision of being called back to Ireland by her people. This vision was to bring him to his mission in Ireland and to convert the Irish to Christianity. What is the evidence? Patrick’s Own Writings Miraculously letters by his hand exist that tell us all of this and more. Not only do these documents exist, but they are freely accessible to anyone with access to the internet! There are two Latin works written in Patrick’s own hand. One document is a brief but scorching letter called the Epistola. It is directed against a Britannia Chieftain who ordered the execution and enslavement some of Patrick’s new converts and followers. My name is Patrick… I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many. My father was Calpornius. He was a deacon; his father was Potitus, a priest, who lived at Bannavem Taburniae. His home was near there, and that is where I was taken prisoner. I was about sixteen at the time. The second document is the...

In wandering the hills and vales of Ireland have you ever run across an abandoned house, cottage, castle and thought “if these walls could talk”? Anyone who has experienced this soon feels pangs of sadness at the decay and wasting of many of these lovely old houses! Some of them in such poor shape that they will soon be nothing but a mound of rocks covered with grass and no signs of the from home and its grandeur. Fortunately for us some of these places have been restored to their former state and we can rent them as self catering vacation homes as in, For others there may be no hope of restoration. But again we are fortunate that there are others who are equally passionate about these old structures and the history and have photographed and published these on the internet. One such historian is Tarquin Blake of Abanoned Ireland Blake, formerly of England and now living in Cork. He started this project as a weekend hobby and it has grown now to a website, several books and lectures. Another person who has done a great deal of work detailing the history of old Irish country homes and mansions on the internet is Chris Deakin whose work may be seen on the website Nobody Home . Chris’s work features mostly castles that are falling to ruins. A sister to this website is Former Glory. Here you may buy one, sell one or stay in one of these old homes.If you are more interested in scholarly study of historical homes of Ireland then you will find just that at the Center for the Study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates based in Department of History at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare. The center offers lectures, conferences, and formal educational programs related to this topic. And The Irish Aesthete which is a study of Ireland’s architectural history and features many grand old buildings but also some everyday rural buildings and architecture.You will also want to check out the Irish Landmark Trust where you can actually stay in a restored historic property. The properties include cottages, gatehouses, lighthouse or other restored historic properties. The Irish Landmark Trust is a non-profit organization that finds interesting buildings in need of conservation and through donations restores them. Wonderful idea for your fairytale self catering vacation! Theses sites provide a great picture into the past for those of us who aren’t able to visit them in person! Like this:Like...

When I travel to Ireland one of the highlights of the trip is the Irish Breakfast featuring “rashers or Irish bacon”. I quickly discovered that pigs were very important in Irish history and still today. In the days before the Irish Potato Famine, many farmers were allowed a small plot of land on a large landowners property as tenants on that land. The Irish laborer or small tenant farmer was allowed to plant potatoes which sustained the family all year, but only after he had tended to the landowners crops. While the potatoes were usually enough for the typical farmer to feed his family they often raised a pig. The pig was so well cared for and coveted by the small farmers that they were allowed to sleep in the house! The pig was the means for the farmer to pay half the rent and was sold at market or at a local fair on or around May Day (May 1). The remainder of the rent was due on November 1. The days the rent was due were called “gale day”. I planned to write a full article about pigs in Irish culture. However, when I started my research I found someone had already beaten me to the punch! So here is the article I wanted to write done very nicely by Mairead’s blog Irish American Mom, Thanks for a job well done Mairead! Irish American Mom Like this:Like...

This year promises to be an exciting one for Irish film aficionados and those interested in Irish Culture. Here are 13 new films promised to be released this year. For anyone who loves Irish film be sure to be on the look out for these new titles! What Richard Did – What Richard Did follows Richard Karlsen through the summer between the end of school and the beginning of college. Everything seems possible, until Richard does something that destroys it all and shatters the lives of the people closest to him. What Richard Did is a quietly devastating study of a boy confronting the gap between who he thought he was and who he proves to be. Released last fall of 2012 in theaters and availble here in the US on cable, but that’s close enough for this list! The Sea– John Banville’s Man Booker prize winning book will be released this summer as a film. It stars Ciarin Hinds, and Sinead Cusak. It was adapted for film by John Banville and introduces Stephen Brown in his directorial debut. Filmed nearly exclusively in Wexford County Ireland. Brooklyn– Colm Toibin’s best selling novel has been adapted for the big screen by Nick Hornsby. Brooklyn is about a young woman torn between a lover in Brooklyn and her family back in Ireland. The film is set in 1950’s and stars Mara Rooney. Filming to begin this spring. Byzantium– A Vampire Story, a young adult play written by Moira Buffini has just finished production. The film features Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton and is produced by Neil Jordan. Mr. Jordan also brought us Interview with a Vampire so he knows vampires! Due for release this summer. Calvery – Director John Michael McDonagh’s follow up to the critically-acclaimed The Guard which also stars Brendan Gleeson in the lead role. In Calvery, Gleeson plays a slightly better-natured priest, whose life is threatened during confession one day, and the forces of darkness begin to close in around him. The film also features Gleeson’s son, Domhnall, Chris O’Dowd, Aiden Gillen and Pat Shortt. Star of the Sea-Based on the international best-selling book by Joseph O’Connor, the Star of the Sea in the title refers to a famine ship on its way from Dublin to New York at the height of the Great Hunger. The novel has picked up many awards since its release in 2004 so there are high hopes for this film adaptation due out this year. Men at Work – Narrated by actor Fionnula Flanagan, Men at Lunch or ‘Lón sa Spéir’ is an Irish-made documentary directed by Seán Ó Cualáin and produced by Éamonn Ó Cualáin. It explores the story behind the famous 1932 Manhattan photograph that depicts 11 construction workers eating their...

Here is a fun challenge from Carrie at “Books and Movies”. It is a challenge for reading Irish Literature, which started in January and runs through December 2013. Carrie has provided a list of the Irish Books that have been reviewed which should be a great start for anyone interested in the challenge. Let me know if you are joining the challenge and what you are reading! Also feel free to let us know about any that are not on the list or to post a review here if you like! Always looking for some good Irish books! Like this:Like...

As it turns out, the myth that the wake in Ireland came about as a result of lead poisoning suffered by drinkers of stout from pewter tankards is just that! A myth! The story goes that a symptom of this malaise is a catatonic state resembling death, from which the sufferer may recover after a period of a few hours to a few days, to the great relief of those watching for signs of such an awakening. But the truth is that the wake used to be the custom in most Celtic countries in Europe. Mourners would keep watch or vigil over their dead until they were buried. Ireland appears to be the only country where the custom has survived. But even in Ireland the wake is losing favour and the funeral parlour is replacing the home for the traditional wake. Only in the Gaeltach and some rural communities are the old traditions still practiced. In a 1996 article written for the Seattle times by Hugh A. Mulligan titled The Death Knell’s Ringing For The Irish Wake, Mr Mulligan shares some of the reasons for its waning and some of the beliefs behind the rituals involved in the traditional Irish wake. If you want to learn more about Irish wakes try this classic book Irish Wake Amusements by Sean O. Suilleabhain. Originally published in 1961 it provides a first hand account of wakes from the author’s youth and is supported by interviews and research conducted in Ireland. Like this:Like...